Trauma and burns are the leading cause of death and morbidity in young individuals. Despite modest advances in the early care of these patients, complications and mortality associated with hemorrhage, shock, tissue injury, infection, wound healing and multi system organ failure remain excessive. Continued improvements in patient outcomes will require fundamental research to identify novel treatment strategies. The objective of the proposed program is to identify and train young surgeons for continuing, productive academic careers focusing of problems relating to trauma and burns. The program insures that individuals possess the necessary basic science and clinical research skills as well as the environment to successfully both identify and subsequently investigate key research questions that will affect the understanding and management of problems affecting trauma and burn victims. Clinical advances in trauma and burn care require not only careful definition of current problems and deliberate basic investigations of ongoing pathophysiologic questions, but also application of leading edge methodologies in order to provide meaningful answers. The proposed program exposes surgical trainees to state of the art basic science research techniques and strategies to allow future academic success. This proposal involves 3 trainees/year who are general surgery residents and will spend a minimum of two years doing basic research.